Armstrong County Considers ‘Land Bank’ to get Deadbeat Properties Back on Tax Rolls

06Feb

Armstrong County Considers ‘Land Bank’ to get Deadbeat Properties Back on Tax Rolls

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Armstrong County is making progress in creating a land bank that would work to find new owners for abandoned, tax-delinquent properties.

The county commissioners recently hired consultant Christopher Gulotta of The Gulotta Group to help get the program working. The Easton-based company is to be paid $100 an hour, not to exceed $6,000, from a state grant.

A land bank is similar to a redevelopment authority, Gulotta said, “but it specifically focuses on acquiring and repurposing blighted and abandoned properties.”

That includes returning the properties to the tax rolls whenever possible. A land bank staff works with the public, businesses and nonprofits to find the “highest and best use” for properties included in the program, Gulotta said.

Armstrong County officials have not yet given final approval to the land bank plan.

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